Two Roommates
by choirgeek
Summary: SEQUEL TO AFTER MATH. It is summertime and Suze has so many things to deal with in her life. Sharon still inhabits her room, Gina is visiting for the summer, she has a job, she is dating Jesse, and, oh yeah, she has a new baby sister to throw into the mix
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Mediator characters. I only own the ones I create.**

**AN: Thank you to all of you who read _After Math_! I love you guys! Thank you also to everyone who suggested a name for Suze's baby sister. I loved all of the names so much that it was difficult to choose. In the end I had to choose one though, but I tried to work every other suggestion into the mix somehow, sorry in advance if I missed your name! Oh, and please don't take anything Suze says as a personal slam against the name you suggested, that is Suze speaking not me! Anyway, as a treat to open my sequel, I decided to make this chapter slightly longer than the other ones. Please review! Enjoy!**

Chapter One

"This is the life."

"Uh, huh," I agreed, closing my eyes.

"Honestly girl, I don't know how you stand it."

"You said that last time."

"And it's still true!"

I turned and looked at one of my best friends, Gina. She had flown in from New York to spend the summer with me and had just arrived the day before. It was a Saturday morning and we were laying on one of the best spots along Carmel's beach. Unfortunately, I had to work during the week. Yup, the good ole Ackerman house rule, either get a job or summer school. Oh well, at least I would still have the evenings and weekends to hang out with Gina. That is, the evenings I wasn't going out on…

"Hey girl," Gina perched her sunglasses atop her head, "I'm parched."

"You go, you know where it is."

Gina snorted, "It's not like we're going to lose our spot."

I gave Gina a small glare and lay back down. She playfully kicked sand on me and started the trek up to the convenience store for a refreshment. Before she could even reach the stairs, two of my stepbrothers were at her side. I rolled my eyes, not wanting to watch Dopey and Sleepy make fools of themselves.

With a small smile, I turned to my other side and stared at our fellow companion and reason Gina was certain we wouldn't lose our spots.

Without looking up from his book, he said, "What is it, _querida_?"

"Just looking."

"At what?"

"You."

Jesse finally turned towards me only to raise his eyebrow and give me a look that clearly stated "Thank you Captain Obvious."

"I like watching you read," I shrugged. It was true. I really started to appreciate everything Jesse did once he was alive again. But then, last winter after I had been kidnapped by Kelly and thought I would never see him again…everything he did seemed even more special now.

"I love watching you do everything," Jesse smiled as he used a bookmark to keep his place before leaning over and giving me a tender kiss.

And okay, I'll admit. I melted. I mean, who wouldn't?

"Yo," we were interrupted by someone plopping down on the other side of Jesse.

I sighed and sat up, "What, Adam?"

He shrugged, "Just felt like saying 'yo' so I did."

I threw him a dirty glare and was just about to lay down when I saw Dopey walking by looking pathetically dejected. Serves him right, I mean, what could he have been thinking? Gina didn't like him as much last time, did he think that adding another layer of beefiness (gag) to his body would make her prefer him this time around. Give me a break. Gina had always had a thing for older guys, college guys to be exact. And well, Sleepy was in college now. So, yeah. The only thing Gina preferred over a college guy was a Latino guy. But Jesse was all mine and Gina would totally respect my space and my property…if you could call Jesse my property that is. Which I guess he wouldn't be property but, oh well.

I practically cackled with delight at seeing Dopey put down by Gina, seeing as he had been nothing but a nuisance to me the past few weeks. I mean, with the new baby, none of us were getting any sleep, but that didn't give him any right to be incredibly jerky to anyone who dared break the silence when the baby was asleep. So I played a little soft Josh Groban in my room, what did it matter to him? Josh Groban's voice happens to be very soothing, so I don't see what his problem was.

Oh yeah, about the baby. Congrats are in order to Suze Simon, big sister. Yup, that's right. Three weeks ago my mom gave birth to a baby girl. Finally, some more estrogen to balance out the enormous amount of testosterone in that house. Even though I'm not that good with kids, I really like my baby sister. She is the cutest thing ever and she learned quickly who the good people are in the house. She cannot stand to have Dopey hold her, probably because he has to be conned into doing it. I'm serious, Andy has to pay him like fifteen bucks an hour to babysit where I will do it for free. Anyway, she adores me and David, who I am desperately trying to call David and not Doc. I don't think he minds the name Doc, but I would feel better if I called him by his real name. Sleepy she is indifferent to, which is understandable. And of course she likes Mom and Andy.

You're probably wondering by now what her name is. It was a great debate in the house over what her name would be and each of us were required to come up with a name, much to the boys' dismay.

Andy liked the name Jasmine, a name I absolutely love, but really, when you put it with Ackerman, you get two names that sound almost the same, Jasmine Ackerman (for it is pronounced more Ackermen that Ackerman). My mom like the name Emily, which we thought was a sweet name, but then Andy's sister (I know right, who knew Andy had a sister!) had to go and name her kid Emily. Jesse tried to be of use and suggested Amelia. But for some reason, Mom and Andy decided not to use the same letter for the first and last name. Hello! Who did the think lived in that house? _S_uze _S_imon and _A_ndy _A_ckerman maybe? Anyway, this was the same reason that David's suggestion of Alexandria was rejected. For a while, it was down to Jake's suggestion of Melinda and Brad's suggestion of Jamie (see, I can use their real names! Ha!) and no one could really make up their mind. Then, someone realized that I hadn't suggested a name. That someone was David, who never lets anything get past him.

Anyway, my first name was Suze Jr. which caused my mom to roll her eyes and give me a look of "you have to be kidding me." So then I told them I was joking and said, "What about McKenzie?"

And that was that. My baby sister is named McKenzie.

It was probably lack of sleep that caused Dopey to walk dejectedly over to his towel and plop. I was under the distinct impression that he went to sleep almost immediately and wouldn't be sorry for him when he woke up with really bad sunburn from staying in one position to long in the sun. Although, I may be sorry when that sunburn makes him crabby and irritable…but at least I'll get to call him a fat lobster. That would be fun.

"What do you find so amusing, Suze?" CeeCee asked without looking up from her book. She was safely under the protection of an umbrella, as always.

"Dopey," I replied as I rolled over onto my stomach.

She glanced up from her book, "What's gotten into him?"

"Gina."

"Ah…I see," Adam began as CeeCee and I exchanged knowing glances. "The poor young gentleman," this issued a very unlady like snort from me, "erm…poor young male specimen?"

"Don't," CeeCee sighed, "that makes him sound appealing."

Jesse looked back and forth, slightly confuse by this exchange, but highly amuzed.

"I can't just say man."

"Because he isn't one," I interjected.

"Then what should I call him oh fair maidens?"

I looked at CeeCee and grinned, "You should call him 'poor young creature who treats his stepsister abominably ill.'"

"What kind of a name is that?"

"Oh, I've been reading Jane Austen lately, so I guess the old language is kind of stuck in my head." The reason I was reading those was to learn a little about the world Jesse was brought up in. Okay, so I know he wasn't brought up in England, but they were so much more fun to read than the western books.

"Whatever, so the 'poor young creature who treats his stepsister abominably ill' has fallen for fair Gina, but alas Gina does not return said…creature's affections. This unrequited love has turned him to the demeaning task of laying in the sun a-"

I cut him off, "And turning into a fat lobster." CeeCee and I dissolved into giggles as Jesse and Adam sighed about how they would never understand females.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Mediator characters!**

**AN: I'm so sorry I haven't updated! Life has been so crazy and it is only about to get more crazy but I will try my darndest to get the next chapter up in a relatively fashionable manner. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It is much appreciated. Enjoy!**

Chapter Two

"How did you luck out, girl?"

I shrugged and continued to paint my toe nails. "I don't know. He's great isn't he?"

Gina gave me a look that clearly stated she found me stupid. "Did you see his bod?"

I rolled my eyes at her, "I like Jesse for more than his 'bod', Gina."

"I never said you didn't. All I said was did you see his bod?"

"No, Gina, I didn't see when my boyfriend took off his shirt and offered it to me so that I wouldn't get sunburn. It's not like you had to throw a water bottle at my head to get me to stop staring or anything."

"Fine miss sarcastic," she finished her last fingernail, "she if I ever let you borrow my polish again."

"Why don't you go talk to Jake or something?" I grinned at her.

"Maybe I will," she grinned back.

"Oh, whoops, you can't, he's out delivering pizzas right now which is why you are stuck here with me instead of making gaga eyes at him."

"Why don't you just go talk to your boyfriend?"

"I would except he's in class right now."

"Dude, he's taking classes over the summer?" Gina made a gagging motion.

"He wants to be a doctor…"

"Oh, cuz that explains it."

"He was a little late going off to college." About one hundred and fifty years late, but that's another story.

"Why?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me. Suze, come on, trust me girl!"

"It's not my secret to tell."

"That's for sure," my other roommate said. But of course, Gina couldn't hear my other roommate, or see her for that matter. Because, hmm, let's see…Sharon's DEAD!

Yup, Sharon was still living in my room. How pleasant for me. I liked Sharon, but can't a girl have a room to herself? Wasn't it enough that once McKenzie got older, I would have to share my room with her?

So anyway, I moved over to where Sharon stood and "accidentally" bumped into her.

She stuck her tongue out at me and went to lounge on my bed.

"Spaz much?" Gina asked.

"Yeah, I slipped." In my haste to keep from talking to Sharon, I forgot that Gina could still see my actions. Whoops. Oh well.

"Klutz," she chuckled as she examined her handiwork. Apparently pleased with her nail polishing abilities, Gina began to gently blow them dry.

I turned to Sharon and glared at her quickly. It was a relief to be off the tricky topic of Jesse just entering college. He hadn't been too pleased when I told CeeCee the truth. And okay, so Gina pretty much knew about my being a mediator, but she didn't know about what Jesse was just a few months ago…

I walked over to my closet and began to rifle through the many clothes that were hanging there. How is it possible to own so many clothes and not have anything to wear?

"So what is this story you can't tell?"

Crap. She hadn't forgotten.

"It's not my story."

"Fine," Gina sighed as she walked over to me. Taking less than a minute, she swatted through my clothes and pulled something out. Laying it at the foot of my bed, she walked over to her suitcase and grabbed her outfit. After placing her clothes next to mine she went to the bathroom and called, "Come on Simon, time to fix our hair."

We were getting ready for our dates…a double date. Don't ask me how I got roped into this. I really have no idea. Jake was supposed to get home in half an hour and we had about an hour and a half before we had to leave. I don't even want to think about how awkward it is going to be to have my stepbrother on my date. Talk about weird! But Gina brought it up in front of Jesse who thought it was a good idea. Hence I was about to go on the double date. Life hates you sometimes. It really does.

"So," Gina lowered her voice as she began to brush out my tangled mane. "How are the ol' mediator duties coming?"

"Oh, she knows?" Sharon asked, perching on the vanity so I couldn't see what Gina was doing to my hair.

I narrowed my eyes at Sharon.

"Whoa, evil Suze has arrived! What has you PO'd?" Gina worked through a particularly difficult snag.

"Oh, it's not you Gina."

"Do you mean to tell me that one of the spirits is here?" When I didn't reply Gina's face lit up, "Cool! Where is the poor soul?"

"Oh, so now I'm a poor soul?"

I closed my eyes. Apparently having Gina come over was more difficult than I thought it would be. Or it could be Sharon that was difficult to have as a roommate. Or the combination of them…

My head began to spin. It was too much. Much too much. "On the vanity," I replied weakly.

"Cool!" Gina stretched her arm out and went through Sharon's stomach, something Sharon didn't appreciate in the slightest. "Where is it?"

"You're in her."

Gina jumped back and Sharon began to cackle—yes cackle—as she decided to use her powers to flick the lights.

I glared at my ghost friend, "Not funny, Sharon. Stop it, you're freaking Gina out." It was true. Gina didn't spook easily, but this was a bit out of the ordinary for a small town in California.

"Whoa," was all Gina said before picking up the brush and working on my hair again. Sometimes she amazes me with her rebound time.

Gina had almost finished my hair when we heard a thud down the hall. "Oww! Shit! Pick up your friggin books, David," came the voice of a very irritated lobster. What followed was the sound of a baby crying. Great.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.**

**AN: I am soooooo sorry I haven't updated in a while. Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me on this story and _After Math_. I love ALL of my readers, especially my reviewers... Anyway, I know that Jake is slightly OOC, but I needed to make this chapter work some how. Oh! And for any of you who are interested, I am going to be starting a new Mediator story soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that! Thank you again! Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

Okay, so after Dopey decided to wake up my darling sister, I walked out and smacked him on the head. An action for which he has promised I will pay. Although, I expect not too much considering a second later Andy walked up the stairs and did the same thing. What can I say, I just beat Andy to the punch.

Anyway, so I went back into my room and finished getting ready. I have to admit, I looked good. Gina had pulled my hair back so that some loose curls hung down. Don't ask for a more detailed description, I couldn't give one. Gina had decided that even though this date was supposed to be semi-casual, we should spruce up our hair even if our outfits were…not so fancy. But whatever.

Gina was wearing a funky jean miniskirt and a deep purple tank that had a black fishnet layer over it. For once, she opted not to wear the fishnet tights that she had been accustomed to wearing lately. Her footwear consisted of black heeled sandals.

As for my outfit, I was wearing jean capris, a baby blue off the shoulder T and tan wedge sandals. Like I said, Gina was a genius when it came to picking out random things from my closet. I don' know how she does it, but I want to learn.

I was just reapplying my lip gloss when the doorbell rang. I ran over to my window and looked down at the driveway. I smiled seeing Jesse's car in the driveway. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all…

"Let's go, Simon! Prince Charming awaits."

I laughed at Gina's Disney reference. "That he does."

We grabbed our purses and I tried to control myself. It was all I could do to keep myself from running down the stairs and into Jesse's arms that I was sure would be waiting for me. But decorum won and I made a more graceful entrance with Gina behind me.

Max ran over to me, tail wagging and waited to be scratched behind the ears. I did so, never taking my eyes off of Jesse. He looked incredibly hot in jeans and a black polo. The look in his eyes told me that I would really have to thank Gina later for all of her efforts.

Someone grunted and I turned my gaze to the corner where Jake stood, arms folded across his chest. Oh boy, this was going to be fun.

Sighing, I walked over to Jesse, "Is everything alright?"

He smiled gently, "It is now."

"And before I came down?"



He shrugged slightly and walked me to the door. Oh boy. This night was going to be just as disastrous as I thought it would be. Great.

Jake and Gina followed us outside. Jesse walked over to his car and Sleepy, being the…what's the right term? Jackass? Yes! That's it! Sleepy being the jackass that he is said, "No way are you driving. We're taking my car."

To which I replied, "No way am I squeezing into the backseat of your car, Jake. Besides, it reeks of pizza."

"So?"

I gave him a dumbfounded look, "So, no self-respecting female wants to smell like pizza on her date."

"Gina doesn't mind, do you?"

Gina shot me a "thanks for nothing look" and forced a smile at Sleepy, "Whatever you say."

She apparently wasn't convincing enough because Sleepy stalked over to Jesse's car and stood there like an idiot before saying, "Well?"

Before Jesse could reply, I said, "Well what?"

"Well, isn't he going to unlock the friggin' car?"

"Well, maybe if you actually _tried_ to behave he would."

Jesse put a hand on my shoulder to silence me but I was on a roll. No way was I going to let Sleepy get away with his stupid brooding behavior. This was so atypical for him and I couldn't figure out where this sudden attitude was coming from.

"Real mature, Suze. As if you are trying to make this any easier. Pulling the 'no self-respecting female' crap. It's you who's full of crap!"

"Oh, stuff it, Jake." Wow, Suze, great comeback. Not. Let's give this another try. "What did you do, take a page out of Brad's book 'Dumbass 101'?"

He narrowed his eyes at me and we stood like we were about to face of like that rumble in _West Side Story_.

It was Gina who finally spoke up, "How 'bout we just take two cars and meet there."

"Sounds good, babe."

EWWW!! He was calling her "babe"? Talk about weird.

Jesse opened the door for me and I silently got into the car. He closed the door for me and walked around to the other side.

"Do you want to explain what that was, _querida_?" he asked as he turned the key in the ignition.

"Not really."

"You shouldn't have yelled at him like that."

"And he shouldn't have been treating you like crap. So we're even."

Jesse gave me a quick look as he backed out of my driveway. "Life is not about getting even, Susannah."

Oh, fantastic. We were on to "Susannah" instead of "_querida_". This night just kept getting better by the second.

When we arrived at the Italian restaurant, we sat in a booth and ate the most awkward meal of my life. Gina and I were seated across from one another in the booth and we made pathetic attempts at small talk. When Jesse tried to start a conversation, Sleepy wouldn't reply. Sleepy and I wouldn't even look at each other. So basically dinner was filled with Gina and Jesse talking.

Remind me to thank Gina for this _wonderful_ idea.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: I am sooooooo sorry for not updating. I could bore you with my lame and pathetic excuses but I won't. Life just got in the way, plain and simple. Anyway, I know this chapter is kind of sucky but I have a plan for the next chapter and I thought I would at least give you guys this one in the meantime. I hope I haven't lost all of my readers! Please review just to let me know you are still there. Even if you hate the chapter, let me know! Constructive critisism is always welcome. Enjoy!**

Chapter Four

As Jesse and I pulled up into my driveway, the silence in the car was unbearable. He put the car in park and let out a sigh.

"Susannah, we need to talk."

Fantastic.

"Yes, Jesse?"

"I don't think you should have said those things tonight."

"What was I supposed to do? Sit back and let Jake treat you like you don't matter?" I screeched.

Jesse held up a hand and I instantly quieted down.

"Please let me finish, Susannah. I don't approve of your actions but-"

"I'm a big girl Jesse, I don't need your approval."

"Susannah," he warned gently.

With a disgruntled sigh, I leaned back in my seat, folded my arms across my chest and looked at Jesse expectantly.

"As I was saying, I don't agree with your actions…" he paused to see if I contested his choice of words. I shrugged and waited. "But I want to thank you."

Wait, what? Jesse wanted to _thank_ me for what I said? What parallel universe did I just step into? Where is the reprimanding be-on-your-best-behavior-at-all-times-and-never-be-mean-to-anyone-except-Paul-Slater Jesse that I had come to know and love. Not that I didn't mind him appreciating my wit every once and a while…

I decided to play this up as much as possible, "Thank me for what, Jesse?"

"_Querida_…" he sighed, guessing the game I was trying to play.

"Okay, fine. You're welcome, Jesse. Just do me one favor since I did stick up for you and all."

"And what might that be?" he asked, one eyebrow quirked inquisitively.

Gently, I fingered his scar, "Never, ever make me do that again. If we are going to double date with anyone, make it CeeCee and Adam. I love Gina and all, but Jake obviously has issues."



Jesse caught my hand and kissed the palm, "As you wish." Awww. He pulled a _Princess Bride_ moment. I had made him watch the movie last week and ever since then he had been on a 'as you wish' kick. Which was just fine with me, because after all, what he really means by 'as you wish' is 'I love you.'

Ha! I have my very own Westley! I have been in love with Westley since I was eight years old and now I finally have him, except way better.

"What are you smiling about, _querida_?"

"Nothing," I muttered as I leaned over and gave Jesse a gentle kiss. As I started to pull away, Jesse pulled me closer and covered my mouth with his. I could definitely get used to this.

I was so caught up in the moment that I almost didn't hear a knock on the windshield. Groaning I turned to see Gina, shifting uncomfortably.

"Your mom wants you to come in now."

"Five more minutes," I said, not caring how childish I sounded.

"No, I really think you should come in now, it's kind of important."

I turned back to Jesse, "You and I still need to talk."

"Tomorrow," Jesse promised.

I smiled as I opened the car door, "Tomorrow."

As slowly as was humanly possible, I left the car and made my way to the front door. Let me tell you, I am the queen of procrastinating. Jesse, being the gentleman that he is, waited for Gina and I to walk through the door before pulling away.

I sighed and leaned against the doorframe. Sometimes life was so perfect, almost too perfect…

"So what were you two lovebirds talking about? Or were you talking at all…"

I sneered at Gina's implication, "Har, har. Very funny, Gina. I thought you said there was something important going on otherwise I would have stayed in the car, perfectly content."

"Well, this is way more important than lip locking with your boyfriend."

"This from the girl who would call me to describe a simple kiss on the cheek."

"Hey! I only did that once and I was in seventh grade dorkus. You're the one who told me every detail of that stupid Winter Formal."



I gave Gina a playful shove and we walked into the family room where everyone was waiting. If the television hadn't been on quietly in the background, there would have been no sound. Even McKenzie was quiet which was a rarity.

"What is it?" I frowned, taking in all of the anguished looks around the room.

Sharon appeared at my side and placed a hand on my shoulder. I gave her a quick, discrete smile and she said gently, "Brace yourself."

Crap. That meant something major was wrong. I looked again at my silent family.

"We-" Mom started. She choked up and was unable to finish. Tears poured out of her eyes as she curled up into Andy's chest.

Much to his credit, Andy rubbed her back trying to soothe her and it seemed to be working. I gave him an inquisitive look and he picked up where my mother left off.

"We got a phone call today. You're mother has to go back to New York."

Was she transferred? Why was she leaving?

"What is it?" I repeated my query.

"It's your grandmother, she's in the hospital."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the characters I created.**

**AN: Here's chapter five. I know it's a little heavy right now but I promise that there will be a good fluff chapter somewhere in the near future. I have a couple ideas of what I want to do with this story and while it's still early, I wanted to test the waters. Would anyone be interested in another story after this one set about seven years in the future? Let me know because that will determine which course this story takes. Anyway, please review! Enjoy!**

Chapter Five

It was one of those moments where I had two choice: I could collapse into a ball on the floor and begin crying just as hard as my mom, or I could shut down emotionally until later. Both seemed like viable options at the moment, but I opted for the second choice.

"Why?" Just stick to the one-word questions and one-word answers, Suze. That way you can stay in control of your emotions.

"She had a stroke."

I nodded and looked away from Andy. I felt a rouge tear slid down my cheek and I angrily swiped it away. I was supposed to be tough! I could hold of my tears for five more minutes until I reached the sanctuary that was my room.

Gina came up and placed a hand on the shoulder that Sharon wasn't occupying. I turned and looked at my best friend. Gina had tears in her eyes. She too had known and loved my grandmother. We had both grown up going over to her apartment on Sunday afternoons to play games like Cribbage and Trouble. Gina had always been my grandmother's "second granddaughter" and the three of us had made hero-shopping trips together and spent many a late night watching sitcom reruns and laughing at the stupidity of it all.

"When do you leave?" I finally managed to ask.

"We are leaving later tonight," my mom said in a weak voice.

"And after what happened last time, we want all of you out of the house while we are gone," Andy shot a glare at his two eldest sons who at least had the decency to blush before ducking their heads. "David, can you stay at Todd's again?"

Doc shook his head, "He's at the computer camp in Florida for the next three weeks."

Andy sighed, "Jake?"

"I can just stay with Neil."

"Brad?"

He snorted, "They're all vaycaying in Hawaii now…"

Oh, yeah. He was really bitter about that. He wanted to go with his friends to Hawaii but because he had failed Math, English, Science and Spanish this past year (how was he even in school still?) he had to make up more classes this summer.

"Suze?"



"Gina and I can probably stay with CeeCee for a while." I paused before having a light bulb moment, "And I think I can find places for David and Brad."

"Anything would be appreciated."

I walked over to the phone while the rest of the family sat in silence. I dialed a familiar number and counted the rings until I heard a voice on the other end, "Hello?"

"Hey, Adam."

"No way am I staying with that dweeb!" Dopey practically exploded.

I shot him a glare.

"What's with the 'poor creature who treats his step-sister abominably ill'?"

"I'll tell you later. Can David stay with you for a couple of days?"

"Cee! Turn the TV down! You've seen that rerun of _The Office_ way too many times! Sorry what's that?"

"Give the phone to CeeCee."

"Fine, I see how valuable I am to you. I mean you call me and then you only want to talk to my girlfriend. That is jus-"

"I'm not in the mood, Adam. Hand the phone over."

"Okay, okay."

"Suze?"

"Cee, can Gina and I stay with you for while."

"Oh, God! Please do! My mom is thinking about inviting my crazy cousins over and I'll need all the support I can get. What's up?"

"I'll tell you later, just let Adam know that David will be with him for a while."

"Okay, call me back when you can."

"Sure…"

I hung up and said, "Okay, David, Gina and I are taken care of. Who's going to watch McKenzie?"



"Caitlin cleared it with your family at the Resort, you can watch McKenzie and the kid," Sleepy mumbled.

"Okay, I guess I can watch her," I said, more than slightly frustrated that no one had asked me if I would take on the responsibility before giving it to me.

"Thank you, Susie. You're all grown up on me," my mom sobbed into my shoulder.

"Mom, it's okay. Let me call someone about Brad."

She backed away and I stared at the phone for a moment. How mean did I want to be…

For some unknown reason, Dopey decided to turn on Guitar Hero and blast it, waking up McKenzie. That's it, I'm being really mean.

I dialed the phone again and smiled to myself a bit.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

"Suze, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"Cut it out. I need a favor."

"Well, well, well. The mighty Suze Simon asking me for favor. What has the world come to?"

Brad stomped up the stairs after being reprimanded by his father.

"Considering you wouldn't grant the last one, you owe me, Paul."

That's right. I called Paul Slater. And the favor he wouldn't grant, well let's just say he was the one who locked me back in that room in his skank of a girlfriend's basement.

"You're right. What can I do for you, Suze?"

"Are you going out of town anytime soon?"

"No, why?" he asked in a suggestive voice.

I suppressed my gag reflex and then grinned despite myself. Without removing the phone from my mouth, I yelled up the stairs, "Hey, Brad! You're staying at Paul's house for an indeterminate amount of time!"

"Suze, what did you just do?"



I used the most chipper voice I had to say, "Bye, Paul. Have fun with Brad. He'll be over in about an hour."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**AN: Here it is, the next chapter! I hope you like it, I tried to add some minimal fluff in here because the last few chapters had been kind of downers but I just didn't think Suze would be all "I want to go make out with Jesse now." This chapter may seem a little rushed, but I just wanted to show how one-tracked Suze's mind had become in her grief. Anyway, please review. Enjoy!**

Chapter Six

Gina and I walked upstairs to my room and began to pack, but not before Dopey stopped us. "What the hell is wrong with you? I am _not _staying with Paul Slater."

"Brad, shut up. It's your own fault you can't stay here anymore. I really don't care what your problem is with Paul. Just be glad I don't punch you in the face for being so inconsiderate at a time like this."

Dopey turned to Jake, who was climbing the stairs, "Don't look at me, Brad. She's right."

I watched as Dopey's jaw clenched before he slammed his door, eliciting new shrieks from McKenzie.

I groaned in frustration and shoved random items in my bag. If I was missing anything, I could always come back for it.

After gathering, all of our belongings, Gina and I climbed into the car. Since I was the one with a job and a baby to care for, I was granted permission to use the car for the week. Dopey would just have to rely on the hospitality of Paul Slater and his exorbitant amount of money to get him to and from school every day. However, that meant that I would have to drop him off. Begrudgingly, I drove Brad to Paul's and dropped him off at the bottom of the driveway and sped off to take Doc to Adam's.

Once Gina and I had finally reached CeeCee's I took everything upstairs and asked to be excused for a while, claiming I just needed to think. CeeCee nodded and I left Gina to explain what was going on. I put McKenzie back into the car seat and drove to a very familiar location. Grabbing a few things from the trunk, I made my way to a door and put down the baby carrier to knock on the door.

"What is it?" he asked as he opened the door.

"Can I come in, Jesse?" I was barely managing to suppress the tears that were welling up in my eyes now.

Jesse ushered me inside and took the playpen from my hands. He didn't question why I had McKenzie with me, he just set the playpen up in the middle of his TV room and I gently placed a sleeping McKenzie down. Turning to Jesse, I wrapped my arms around his neck and sobbed.

"What's wrong _querida_?" he asked, rubbing patterns on my back in an attempt to soothe me.

Seeing his books spread out on the table, I wiped the tears from my eyes, "I'm sorry I disturbed you. You probably have a big test coming up…"

He shook his head and cupped my face in his hands, "Nothing is more important to me than you, Susannah. Now will you tell me what is wrong, _querida_?"

A new wave of tears swept over me and I almost collapsed with the raw emotion that flooded through me. Jesse picked me up and sat me down on the couch.

After a minute, I managed to say the words that I hadn't quite managed to say out loud yet, "My grandmother had a stroke. She's in the hospital."

"Oh, _querida…_" Jesse whispered as he tenderly moved my hair out of my eyes. "Is there anything I can do?"

I looked at him with an expression that could probably only be described as pathetic, "Can you just hold me?"

Once again, I was scooped up into Jesse's arms and I buried my head against his neck as he carried me to his bedroom. Gently, he lay me down on the bed before laying down next to me. I curled up against his warm, muscular chest and cried. Jesse said nothing, but continued to rub my back and occasionally ran his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down.

I must have fallen asleep for when I opened my eyes, Jesse was nowhere to be found. At first I was slightly upset that he had left me when he said he would hold me. My eyes stung from crying myself to sleep and I tried rubbing them, which only made the sting worse. Then I heard a noise behind me.

I closed my eyes again and listened to Jesse as he sang, I assume it was to McKenzie. A tinkling sounded as my cellphone rang. Jesse rushed to my purse and pulled out the phone, "Hello?"

I listened intently, waiting to find out who Jesse was talking to. "Yes, she's here. No, don't bother waiting up for her. Susannah is in no condition to drive tonight…Yes, I know she drove here, but…fine, I'll make sure she's there in the morning."

I still could not figure out who Jesse was talking to. There was a long pause until Jesse said, "Yes. See you tomorrow, CeeCee."

Oh, so that's who it was. That makes sense. I did kind of leave without telling her where I would be. Glancing at the clock, I saw that I had been gone for two hours. Had I really been asleep that long? Wow, it's amazing just how comforting Jesse's arms can be.

After putting my phone away, Jesse walked into the bedroom carrying McKenzie and I closed my eyes once more. He paused for a moment to stroke my cheek lightly before walking to the window. I opened one of my eyes just a smidgen to find him pointing at the stars with my sister. She looked so tiny in his big arms and he looked so at peace just holding her. It was something powerful to see, and it made me realize two things.

The first thing it made me realize was how much Jesse must miss his own sisters. The second was what a great father Jesse would make someday. The held McKenzie in a way that showed he 

was so sure of what he was doing. After raising five sisters, how could he not be? He was so gentle to her and bounced her up and down every once and a while and rocked back and forth. He was a natural with babies whereas I had to work at it.

I sighed at the lovely picture they made. Jesse turned around and saw me awake, "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Don't be, I like watching you with McKenzie."

He smiled, "How long have you been awake?"

I shrugged, "Dunno, a while?"

"CeeCee called and I told her that you were staying here for the night."

I pretended to be shocked, "Really Jesse? I thought you said no staying over until we were at least engaged."

"That was before you came over here in…" he hesitated, not wanting to say anything that might drive me into a fresh bout of hysterics, "a delicate emotional state."

I nodded, blinking back tears.

"Oh, _querida…_"

I held my arms out for McKenzie and held her tight. She may never get the chance to meet her grandmother. It was a sad thought that she would never have the chance to have the experiences I had growing up. Jesse lay down beside me again and wrapped his arm around my waist. The three of us lay there for a while, not making a sound. McKenzie was snuggling into my chest while I leaned my back against Jesse.

_This could be us in a few years. This could be us with a family_…


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the long delay; I've been going through some pretty intense family drama and I'm moving tomorrow so it will be a while before I can update. There's a whole lot of nothing in this chapter but I needed to write something that wasn't filled with drama so here it is. The one conflict was pretty clever if I do say so myself. Anyway, I hope you all like it. Please review! Enjoy!**

Chapter Seven

I woke up and sighed, keeping my eyes shut tight. Something was different…my bed didn't feel the same…

McKenzie stirred next to me. This was nothing new; McKenzie slept with me all the time.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in Jesse's room. The events from the previous day came rushing back and I bit my lip to prevent the tears from forming. I shifted positions and McKenzie began to wail.

I groaned and picked her up, looking at the clock. Was it really 9:30 in the morning? Had McKenzie actually slept through the night? If that was the case, she had to be ravenous with hunger by now.

Dread overcame me as I realized I hadn't put the bottles of milk in the fridge before falling asleep. Now I had nothing to feed her.

I trudged into the kitchen, not caring how atrocious I looked. Jesse was standing over the stove, flipping pancakes. He heard McKenzie's increased volume and turned around.

"_Querida_," he said smiling sweetly, but with some reserve, as if he didn't want to upset me.

I muttered and incoherent response and sat at the table. Jesse walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle.

"You are a lifesaver, Jesse," I said as I took the bottle and began feeding my sister. The wailing stopped almost instantaneously.

"If I remember correctly, you're the life saver."

I shook my head, "You were the one who saved me from the fire and then from Kelly. Besides, I was only there to actually let you be…" I stopped, not able to finish.

"Don't think like that, _querida_," Jesse hurried to say, awkwardly hugging me so that he wouldn't disturb McKenzie. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be able to have this life together."

I smiled at Jesse, fresh tears in my eyes, but not because I was sad. These tears were ones of love and joy.

Jesse smiled back before returning to the pancakes so they wouldn't burn.

When she had had her fill of the bottle, I burped McKenzie, changed her diaper and put her down in the playpen.

I was finishing my second plate of pancakes when my cell phone started to ring.

I rushed over and answered with my mouthful, "Huwoa?"

"Suze, is that you?"

I quickly swallowed, "Sorry, Andy, I was eating."

"Oh, okay. We just wanted to let you know that there are no changes with your grandma."

"Please let me know if there are any."

"You'll be the first one we call," he assured me. "How's McKenzie doing?"

As if on cue, she started shrieking.

"I take it she's not happy," Andy laughed.

"Uh, I guess not. I should probably go see what she needs."

"Wait just one second…" Andy trailed off. I sighed and looked over at my sister. Jesse saw my obvious conflict and walked over to the playpen.

"Susie?"

"Mom?"

"Oh, Susie, you have no idea how much I wish you were here."

"Do you need me to fly out there?"

"No, you need to work."

What I really needed was for my grandma to be okay, but since it didn't seem like that would be happening anytime soon, I needed to be with her. "Mom," I started but was cut off.

"Don't you even think about getting on a plane, Susannah."

How could she know me so well?

Jesse was now trying to console McKenzie by rocking her back and forth. When that didn't seem to work, he began singing softly.

I tried to silence him but it was too late.

"Is that Jesse I hear?"



"Um, yes."

"What are you doing with Jesse? When we called CeeCee's house she said you were out picking up breakfast for everyone."

"Yeah, Mom, I am. I talked to Jesse last night and he knew I was upset so he said he'd make pancakes for me. I'm getting pancakes and then going back to CeeCee's."

Jesse gave me a look that clearly showed his disapproval. I, on the other hand, was ecstatic because, well, I hadn't lied about anything.

"Put Jesse on the phone."

Uh oh, my mom knew that Jesse couldn't lie to her because he was such an "old fashioned gentleman" as she put it. Technically he was but she didn't have to know that.

"Um, Jesse…"

"Yes, Susannah?"

"My mom would like to speak with you."

"I won't lie," he mouthed before picking up the phone. "Hello, Mrs. Ackerman…Yes…Yes…No. Goodbye. I hope everything turns out well…I will. Goodbye." He turned off my cell phone and handed it back to me.

"Well?" I asked as I picked up McKenzie and began to soothe her.

"Well, what, _querida_?"

"What did she say?"

"She asked if we were at my apartment, I said yes. She asked if I was making pancakes for you, I said yes."

"And the 'no'?"

He smiled gently but with a hit of regret. "She asked if I was planning on letting you go to the airport anytime soon."

"See, Jesse, no lying. We both spoke the truth."

"A very limited truth."

McKenzie finally calmed down and I was able to put her back in the playpen. "The whole truth would have been too much for her to handle."

"What will people think when they hear I let you stay here? I've dishonored you. I'm so sorry, _querida_."

I walked over to Jesse and wiped a tear off his cheek. "No one has to know. CeeCee and Gina won't tell anyone."

"I hope you are right, _querida_," he whispered in my ear before enveloping me in his embrace.

I snuggled into his chest but stood up straight when someone cleared their throat behind me.


End file.
